2024 Top 40 Under 40: Braden Cook
Braden Cook
Braden Cook has always worked in the product, service, and training space — just not always in HVAC. Prior to joining Carrier, he worked as a product engineer, service engineer, product instructor, and an account manager for non-HVAC-related manufacturers until 2015, when he took a role as the 80% gas furnaces product manager with Carrier, and his career has continued to grow ever since. Cook went from overseeing 80% furnaces, to managing Carrier’s full heating portfolio, to taking on the residential product portfolio and training, to his current role of senior director of product management, training, and service, leading teams across the residential ducted and ductless business.
His career in HVAC has been focused on launching new products that don’t only meet regulatory requirements, but surpass them with the latest in technological advancements. Of the many things Cook and his team have accomplished, there are a few that really stand out to him. For starters, 100% of Carrier’s residential products were relaunched to meet the 2023 Department of Energy (DOE) regulatory changes. Aside from just meeting the requirements, Cook helped redevelop the products from the inside out, adding new technologies, enhancements, and increased efficiencies in virtually every unit.
“Currently leading the 2025 refrigerant transition of which Carrier was the first to announce R-454B (known commercially as Puron Advance) as our refrigerant of choice, the first to publicize AHRI ratings for R-454B systems, and the first to open orders and ship R-454B systems,” Cook said. “Additionally, we opened a state-of-the-art training facility in Indianapolis that added 30,000 available training hours — many of which are being used to train on the new refrigerant well in advance of 2025.”
Looking ahead, Cook hopes to continue driving forward innovative, intelligent, digitally-enabled lifecycle solutions that don’t just transform the HVAC industry, but also support a more sustainable, resilient future, one system at a time.
“With my incredible team’s support, anything is possible, and I am excited for what the future holds for me at Carrier,” Cook said.
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